


Things You Said

by MicrosuedeMouse



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Napoleon and Waverly also show up a fair amount, Prompt Fic, minifics we'll call them, okay they're not quite drabbles bc I wrote most of them on my phone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 00:05:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 59
Words: 6,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13154928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicrosuedeMouse/pseuds/MicrosuedeMouse
Summary: Gallya minifics (not quite drabbles) from a list of 'things you said' prompts. Out of order but all existing in a single continuity.





	1. things you said at 1 am

**Author's Note:**

> Sup I die for Gallya
> 
> Full prompt list can be found on my writing blog at the following link: http://scratchpapermouse.tumblr.com/post/164169729386/prompts-1-things-you-said-at-1-am-2-things

“You should put that bottle away and get some rest, little chop shop girl,” he told her, not without a trace of amusement.

“I feel like we’ve had this conversation before,” she complained, lolling her head lazily onto her shoulder.

“That is because we have,” he agreed. “You do this every chance you get, I think.”

“Yes,” she admitted slowly, nodding. “Because if I do, you’ll forgive me for my actions. You’re all too kind to me when I’ve been drinking.”

Illya turned and surveyed her for a moment before removing the bottle from her hands. “Rest,” he said again. “You need to be at your best tomorrow.”

“You’re so boring,” she sighed.

He smiled slightly. “If tomorrow’s job goes as planned, I will have drink with you when it is over.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”


	2. things you said through your teeth

“She is not to be treated this way,” he hissed. “She is deserving of respect.”

“Illya, it’s fine,” Gaby sighed, turning away. “It’s not worth it. I know his type; he won’t see reason.”

“I can persuade him,” the man answered, fingers rolling tight.

“I’m just saying, a lady like this isn’t cut out for our line of work,” the visiting agent insisted. “She would be safest here, while we go out and take care of this quickly.”

“You would be safest _not_ here,” Illya warned.

 


	3. things you said too quietly

“Be careful, little chop shop girl,” he sighed as she walked away from him, splitting off to take care of her own part of the plan.

Gaby glanced over her shoulder. Had he spoken? She wasn’t sure, now. He was getting into the car, no longer looking at her. She hesitated – she could still go back, ask him. But she waited too long, and then he was gone.

She’d just ask him when they reconvened in a few days. Surely it couldn’t have been _too_ important.


	4. things you said over the phone

“I am – I am not good at this,” he told her over the crackling line, separated by at least two national borders.

“You’re better than you think,” she answered quietly. “You just don’t usually use your words to say it.”

“I… miss you, little chop shop girl,” he said, almost choking on it. “I could use your help out here.”

She missed him, too. She wished she could tell him, but Waverly was right behind her, listening. She didn’t think she could get away with it. “You’re almost there.”


	5. things you didn't say at all

He loved her. He loved her with everything he had, with things he hadn’t _realized_ he had until he met her. He ached with it. Everything he did was for her. He would go to any lengths for her. He would leave his service, his entire life’s work, if she asked him to. He lived and breathed for her, saved the world for her, tried (and failed) to keep his distance _for her_.

“Well?” she asked, inches away, her face immediately beneath his.

He was silent.


	6. things you said under the stars and in the grass

Gaby was surprised when Illya’s hand found hers in the darkness, his vast fingers enveloping hers like she was a mere child. “My grandmother used to tell me stories about the shapes in the stars,” he said softly. She didn’t answer, wondering if he would carry on. After a moment, he added: “She believed many stories were to be found in the stars, if you looked enough.”

“What do you believe?” she asked him.

“I believe…” He thought about that for a moment. “I believe this story is better.”


	7. things you said while we were driving

“You will be fine, little chop shop girl,” he assured her – assured himself. He took a hard left and tried not to think about the blood seeping from the stab wound under her hand. “Everything will be fine.” He was terrified, actually, despite the fact that it was only her leg, that it couldn’t do that much damage as long as he stitched her up soon. That brief moment when he’d seen the knife blade and been too far to reach her on time, his heart had stopped.

She only hissed in pain. “Illya—”

“I will take care of you, Gaby. I will look after you, and I will kill that man, and I will never let this happen again.”


	8. things you said when you were crying

“Gaby.” His voice was so quiet, so strained, that she barely heard it. “Gaby, you are safe. I have you, little chop shop girl.”

“Illya?” she asked, head still spinning. She couldn’t remember what had happened, but something hurt. “Are you all right?”

“I am fine,” he answered, pulling her into him, holding her against him like he feared she would disappear. His head fell against her shoulder, and something soaked through the fabric of her blouse – tears, she realized belatedly. “I am fine, now.”


	9. things you said when I was crying

“Come,” he murmured softly, pulling her into his arms without hesitation. Her shoulders shook, but his embrace engulfed her, comforting her in ways she couldn’t have described.

“Those- those children-” It was a miracle he could make out her words through the sobs.

“I am sorry, Gaby. I am so sorry.” He held her tightly, rubbing her back. “But you saved so many more. You are hero. You are strong. No one should see this, but you will recover. I have seen children you _saved_. They are why we do this.”


	10. things you said that made me feel like shit

“I didn’t want to do it, Illya,” she told him. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Did not hurt me,” he answered, his gaze never leaving the report in from of him.

“I’m sorry,” she pleaded. “It was my only choice.”

“Was not,” he countered.

“If I didn’t, my cover would have been blown. He could have killed me.” It was breaking her heart, knowing what she’d done to him. Knowing that he would never admit to how much it killed him to see her with another man.

“Would not have,” he said matter-of-factly, still not meeting her gaze. “I could have come. You could have called for me. You know I always come for you, Gaby. He could not have hurt you as long as I am here.” He looked up, finally, and she shattered.


	11. things you said when you were drunk

"I am not drunk, Gaby. Takes more than that." He wobbled as he spoke.

"Bullshit," she answered, impatient. She'd _known_ he shouldn't go into that meeting alone, but _nooo,_ Solo needed her in the van.

"You, you are often drunk," Illya added, as if it was an excuse.

"Not _while_ I'm w _orking_ , though," she told him, crossing her arms.

"Come. Dance with me." He held out his hands. When she raised her eyebrows in a question, he smiled. "You dance when drunk. Perhaps so do I."

After a moment, she took his hands at let him lead. He danced quite well, actually. It was fun.


	12. things you said when you thought I was asleep

"Shh. Gaby is tired," Illya said softly when he answered the door.

"Wear her out, Peril?" Solo asked, and even with her eyes closed she could see his mischievous grin.

"No." An impatient answer. "What do you want, Cowboy?"

"To give you a heads-up, actually," Solo said. "My colleague Agent Combes is quite taken with her. Keeps talking about taking her to dinner after all this. If you don't want to lose her, you should consider beating him to the punch."

"She will not accept," Illya said bluntly.

"Oh? Why not?"

"She knows how I feel."

"How's _she_ feel?"


	13. things you said at the kitchen table

"Come here." She leaned in obligingly, and he lifted his napkin to dab peanut butter away from the corner of her mouth. "There. Now you are perfect."

"All that engine grease and it's the peanut butter that bothers you?" Solo asked, watching the Russian in amusement over his meal.

"Yes. Engine grease is part of little chop shop girl. Peanut butter is only part of lunch." She was caught in Illya's gaze, unable to turn away from his gentle smile.

"You do have odd taste, Peril," Solo said with a chuckle, looking back to his newspaper.

"This is fine," Illya answered.


	14. things you said after you kissed me

"Come, Liebling. We have seats to return to," he told her, letting her take his arm as he pulled away from the wealthy couple. But he didn't lead her into the theatre - with a surreptitious glance around, he led her through a black door to a basement. At the bottom, he turned to her with darkened eyes, catching her chin with his thumb and curled forefinger, leaning down to kiss her breathless. It wasn't chaste like upstairs, it wasn't sweet or quick or performed for others to see. It was passionate and deep.

"First kiss should have been like this."


	15. things you said with too many miles between us

"I will be there."

"Illya, you can't," she said softly. "There's no way they'll let you go. I only called to hear your voice. I don't know if I'll get to hear it again."

"I will be there," he repeated. "I will come, Gaby. They cannot stop me. They cannot keep me from you, from this."

She took a long, shaky breath, and then she answered, "Okay. Then I will see you when you get here."

"I will be there. Soon. What does Cowboy say? Before you know it."

"Okay. Well… you'd better be."

"I will not be long, Gaby."


	16. things you said with no space between us

"I knew that first night, little chop shop girl."

She looked up at him. "Our first night together? In Vienna?"

He shook his head. "In Rome. When you tried to wrestle me."

"I was testing you."

He chuckled. "Perhaps." Ran his fingers down her spine. "But I knew then. That I would cross the world for you."

"Did you know that was love?" she asked him, self-indulgently.

"Maybe not," he admitted. "But I knew the feeling. In my heart."

"I knew the last night in Rome. When you still looked at me the same way, even after what I had done."


	17. things you said that I wish you hadn't

"We must go back, Gaby."

She shook her head. "No. It took my whole life to cross that wall. I'm not going back."

"We have no choice." He took her hand. "I will keep you safe. They cannot hurt you as long as I am here."

"I don't care, Illya," she said angrily. "I won't go."

"It is our only chance to save them," he said softly. "We go, or they will die."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Anything else," she whispered. "You could have asked anything else of me. But this…"

He pulled her in. "I am sorry."


	18. things you said when you were scared

"There's no _time_ , Gaby, I must tell you, I _love_ you-"

"I _know,_ Illya, I love you _too_ , but if you'd just-"

"Gaby!" His voice was sharp with desperation, and finally she was silent, watching him even as she kept prying at his bindings. "Please. I have never- I did not know I could love someone so much. I meant to ask you-"

"Don't," she pleaded, crying anew. "Don't do this now."

"Please," he said hoarsely. "I wanted to marry you, Gaby. Please, get out, before the warhead-"

She cut him off, taking his beaten face between her hands and kissing him hard.

"You mean the warhead Waverly and I just managed to reroute?" Solo's voice came from behind her.


	19. things you said when we were the happiest we ever were

"You are…" Illya couldn't seem to process what she had said. Gaby wondered if she should repeat it in Russian.

"Yes," she said quietly, biting her lip and nodding.

"I…" His eyes were shining, she realized. "We will be-?"

"Parents," she supplied after a moment.

The tears fell freely from his eyes as he scooped her up and swung her around, beaming. "Parents!" he cried.  "We are having a baby!" He pulled her against his chest and kissed her.

"You'll be a wonderful father, Illya," she sighed.

"I love you," he wept, shoulders shaking. "I love you so much."


	20. things you said that I wasn't meant to hear

"Have you bought a ring?" Napoleon asked on the balcony below her.

"She has a ring," came the blunt reply.

"Come on," the American probed. Gaby held her breath.

"Yes," Illya finally answered. "In Vienna."

"Vienna?" Napoleon asked. A pause. "But isn't that where you first-?" Another. "And you bought it _then?_ …God, Peril, you're even more serious than I thought."

"I am always serious, Cowboy. I am spy."

"Now we both know _that's_ not true." A drink being poured. "I suppose I ought to prepare a speech."

"You go ahead and do that."

Gaby's heart pounded in her chest.


	21. things you said when we were on top of the world

"It's cold," Gaby complained.

"Nothing compared to Russian winter," Illya answered casually.

"We're _north_ of Moscow, Peril," Napoleon pointed out with a roll of his eyes. "It's the arctic circle."

"It's cold regardless of where we are," she told them, frowning.

Illya unzipped his coat and spread his arms. "Come here," he told her. "I will warm you up."

She hesitated, then went to him, sliding her hands beneath his coat and letting him embrace her.

"See?" he asked. "Nothing Russian spy cannot handle."

"Don't get too cozy there, you two," Napoleon teased.

"What if I like cozy?" Gaby challenged.


	22. things you said after it was over

She was resting against him on the sofa by the fireplace, almost asleep, when he said it. "I did not think I would get to retire."

She considered that. "I tried not to think about it at all."

"I thought I would die on the job one day," he said softly, running his fingers through her hair. "Or otherwise be sent to the Gulag, eventually, for something."

"For marrying a German chop shop girl?" she suggested.

He smiled. "Perhaps."

"I'm glad we made it to retirement," she told him.

"I have rarely been happier." He pulled her close, kissing her.


	23. things you said on the streetcar at 1 am

"We are almost there, little one," he murmured softly, one hand on her back as she leaned half-asleep against his chest. He held tight to the ceiling bar in the packed space, and she held onto him.

"Are the two of you engaged?" asked an older woman nearby, glancing at the ring on Gaby's finger.

"…Yes," Illya answered. "She is light of my life." Their cover.

"It's clear you'll make a wonderful husband," the woman said fondly. "I hope you treasure her, young man."

"I do. Every day." His hand pressed into her back, and she smiled tiredly into his sweater.


	24. things you said with clenched fists

"Gaby, I-" He opened and closed his hands restlessly, but they always curled back into anxious fists. "I do not know if you know," he said.

"What should I know, Illya?" she asked, moving closer. They had spent the night together, and he had been like this all morning as they prepared. Jittery.

"I- I am in love with you," he managed finally. "I do not merely find you attractive. I want to-"

She put a finger to his lips. "I know," she said with a smile. "I am in love with you, as well."

"Ah." He paused. Smiled.


	25. things you said in the back seat of a cab

"You are better dancer when drunk," he told her on the way home from the gala.

"No. I have no memory for the steps when I'm drunk," she told him drily. "I did better tonight. All they had was weak champagne."

Illya shook his head. "You are more fun dancer when you are drunk. I like your creativity and boldness."

She looked at him for a moment. "Well. You know that between that statement and my newfound knowledge that you _can_ dance, you will _have_ to join me next time."

He smiled slightly. "Perhaps I can be persuaded. With vodka."


	26. things you said sitting still

They were both tied to chairs. "Who is she?" the Italian was demanding. "We only heard about you."

"She is my _wife_ ," Illya pleaded expertly. "Please. I am only an importer. I don't know what you want with me."

"You are no importer," the Italian hissed. "And I don't for a moment believe that she is your wife."

"I am! She is!" Illya pleaded. "Please, don't hurt her. She is my everything. If anything happened to her I could not go on. I would die of a broken heart."

The Italian dropped to the floor. "Miss me?" Solo asked.

"No," Gaby answered.


	27. things you said on the phone at 4 am

"And Gaby?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"…Illya, this is an UNCLE line. Waverly could be monitoring this call right _now_."

"I do not care. Waverly knows. I love you."

"Yes, but it's kind of an- an open secret. We're not supposed to address it at work."

" _I love you_."

"Don't you die out there, Illya Kuryakin."

"I love you, Gaby."

"…I love you too. Take care of yourself."

"I will. I'll be home soon, Gaby. I promise."

"You'd better. If I don't hear from you soon, I'm coming out there myself."

"Please do not. Job almost done. Would ruin cover."


	28. things you said but not out loud

He could never tell her he would die for her, but he could throw himself into the path of the blow.

He could never tell her she made him feel real, feel human, but he could take her to bed and make her see stars.

He could never tell her he loved her more than anyone, anything else in the world, but he could kiss her bruised knuckles and promise to have her back, always.

He could never tell her she had changed everything, but he could hold her close and hope it made him a better man.


	29. things you said in the backyard at night

"We have a house," Gaby said softly, taking Illya's hand as they watched the fire die down. "Not just an apartment or a safehouse or a hideout. We have a _house_."

His fingers, woven with hers, were soft and warm. "We have _home_ ," he rumbled in response. "Just for us. For our family."

She leaned into him. "No Napoleon. No Waverly. Except on special occasions."

"Just the three of us." He looked back at the house, where the little one was sleeping soundly. "All that I ever needed."

"Just the four of us," she confirmed.

He stiffened. Then, slowly: "Four…?"


	30. things you said on the highway

"This is our first major job without Solo," Gaby noted conversationally.

"Yes," Illya agreed from the passenger side. "I look forward to it."

"For the peace and quiet, I imagine," she joked.

"And for the company," he added. She took her eyes off the road to look at him in surprise; he wasn't meeting her eye.

"Yes," she said slowly, returning her gaze to the highway. "I look forward to getting to know you better."

"And I you," he answered. "Cowboy has tendency to interrupt us. Now we can talk properly."

She wondered what he meant. "I suppose we can."


	31. things you said while I cried in your arms

Gaby was burnt-out and tired. It happened to all of them sometimes - only normally she had the sense to get drunk before she fell apart. The others were similar: Solo got laid, Illya got into a fight. They each had their own ways of coping.

Except tonight.

Tonight, Gaby sobbed in her bed. And then she felt a weight behind her, settling into the mattress, and he was pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms quietly around her. And she kept weeping.

"Let it out, little one," he said softly. "Just let it out. You are safe here."


	32. things you said I wouldn't understand

"I am _weapon_ , Gaby. I found myself empty and went to KGB and KGB filled me with violence. Filled me with prejudice and hatred and obedience, made me their killing machine. I am nothing more."

Unintimidated, she stepped closer, staring straight up into his face. "You are a good man, Illya."

Finally his anger resolved into sorrow and he sank onto the bed behind him, burying his face in his hands. She stepped forward until his head rested against her stomach, running her hands through his hair soothingly as he tried to breathe evenly again.

"You are a good man."


	33. things you said at the back of the theatre

"You are sure she is all right?" he asked for the tenth time.

"I told you," she answered, amused. "She's fine, I'm certain. Despite Waverly's objections to the way she calls him _Opa_ , he secretly adores her."

"I just worry for her safety," he said. "Boss is spy, after all."

"The same reason you claim that she's _always_ safe with us," she pointed out. "Or do you know a _better_ babysitter than Waverly?"

He frowned. "No."

"There you go, then," she said. Then she tapped his arm and pointed. "There's the mark. Look busy." And they returned to their work.


	34. things you said in your sleep

It was funny, honestly, because normally he sleep-talked in Russian, which sometimes she understood and others she didn't. But there was really no mistaking what he'd said this time, in German and clear as a bell: " _Ich liebe dich, Gaby_." At first she had assumed he was still awake, but when she rolled over under his arm to kiss him, he was out like a light.

" _Ich liebe dich, Illya,_ " she had responded softly, smiling and burrowing into his bare chest. His arm tightened somewhat around her back, keeping her close.

He didn't remember in the morning. It was sweet.


	35. things you said that made me feel real

"You saved me," he breathed late one night.

"What?"

"You saved me," he repeated, looking up at her.

She frowned. "From that goon with the knife earlier? He was so drunk he was barely conscious. Besides, he-"

Illya shook his head. "From…" Something in Russian. "Oblivion," he added in English. "Before you, I was empty vessel. Lived only for country. Now, I am full. Live for you. Live for _me_. I am not alone anymore."

"Oh," she said softly. They were in separate beds, some pretence of professionalism. She slipped from her covers to join him in his. "You're welcome."


	36. things you said you'll never forget

"I am…"

He seemed at a loss for words, standing there with the infant in his arms. She had never seen such a look of wonder on his face, to say nothing of all of the other emotions clearly overwhelming him.

"A father," she told him. "A papa."

"I am a father," he repeated, choking on the words. "I am a father…"

"And I'm an uncle!" Napoleon added, bursting in with a bouquet. "Come on, Peril, let's see what kind of baby you and Gaby made, huh?"

Illya turned to show off his daughter. "I am a _father_ ," he said again, leaking tears.


	37. things you said with the tv on mute

"Illya, you and I _both_ know, _well_ , that the news doesn't always report the truth."

"Yes," he agreed, frowning. "I am only saying, that Madrid is where Cowboy is right now."

" _One_ destroyed mosque and a few scattered bomb scares hardly mean he needs our help."

"Of course."

There was a long pause, and then Gaby sighed. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"No. I am worried he has botched job."

She narrowed her eyes. "You'd go if it were me out there, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," he answered, without pause.

"Okay." She got up. "I love you, too. Let's go."


	38. things you said while holding my hand

"Do not let go, Gaby," Illya said, his hands clasped tightly around hers where she hung down off the cliff's edge.

"Really, please don't," Napoleon agreed, tone conversational even as he was whipping together a rope sling of some kind to help pull her up. "If you fall he'll dive after you and I'll be left alone up here."

Gaby laughed, a little hysterical. The adrenaline of the mountainside car chase had increased tenfold.

"You think he is joking," Illya told her. "But it is true. I would jump off cliff to follow you before being left alone with Cowboy."


	39. things you said when we first met

"I am sorry. I do not like this more than you do."

She looked him up and down. "Being put in charge of a defenceless German woman? I'm sure it's second nature to you," she spat.

"It is not," he said firmly. "I avoid that kind of work."

"I'm sure you do."

"Listen. I just want to do this job and then part ways," he told her. "In the meantime, I will play perfect fiancé. Gentleman. No trouble."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes, mistrustful. "If you lay a hand on me…"

"I will not. For show only."


	40. things you said when you met my parents

"I barely remember my mother," Gaby said as they stood over the grave.

Illya was quiet for a moment, letting her lean her head against the same arm she still held. "Do you remember her fondly?"

"Yes, I suppose so," she answered slowly. "She loved me."

"Then you are lucky," he told her, leaning down to nose into her hair and kiss her head. "And I am grateful."

"You're so soft-hearted," she teased him.

"Only where you are concerned, _lyubimaya_." He shifted his arm out of her grip to loop it around her shoulders and pull her nearer. She smiled.


	41. things you said you loved about me

"I like my women strong." It seemed like such an understatement now.

She _was_ strong. Strong enough to wrestle him to the ground (at least when he wasn't expecting it) - but also strong enough to survive behind the Iron Curtain. Strong enough to lose many parents, some more than once. Strong enough to pound a car engine into submission, finish a job, down a whole bottle of gin, and dance her heart out all in one day. Strong enough to thrive despite everything the world - and their _job_ \- could throw at her.

Strong enough to tear down all his defences.


	42. things you said when you asked me to marry you

"Well, now you know," Illya said, slipping a hand into one pocket of the coat Napoleon had brought him. He brought out a small box.

"Illya, no…" Gaby gasped, crying anew. Her arm was bandaged now, her bloodied fingers cleaned on a towel.

He got up from his seat beside her and then down on one knee, ignoring the chaos around them, the orders Waverly was barking at the soldiers. "Gaby, will you marry me?" he asked. "Keep saving my life like you did today, every day?"

"Illya, you sap," she answered, nodding as she threw her arms around him.


	43. things you said in our vows

Illya was not, typically, an especially eloquent man. He showed his love more often than spoke it. So when Napoleon teased Gaby that the Russian was agonizing over his vows to make them absolutely perfect, of course she wondered.

When the day came he spoke of how quickly she broke through walls no one ever had. How she saved his life time after time. How he loved her so completely it overwhelmed him. How she had found him an empty shell and made him whole. How she was the centre of his existence and his reason to survive.

And she wept.


	44. things you said before you kissed me

"What are you doing?" Gaby asked, watching in mild amusement as Illya locked the door, checked the windows, checked the balcony. Even checked the closet. Unplugged the phone.

"Eliminating possible interruptions," he answered, straightforward as ever.

"What could possibly make you worry about that?" she teased as he approached her again.

"Do not joke about this," he warned her, a trace of humour in his own voice. "Cowboy may yet fall through ceiling."

"And what would you do then?" She couldn't help it.

"Shoot him," he deadpanned.

And then he swept her into his arms and kissed her hard.


	45. things you said on new year's eve

"Happy New Year, darling," Gaby said with a smile as she pulled back from the kiss, dropping back down from her tiptoes. "Here's to the future."

Illya, still holding her waist, looked at her seriously. "Yes… the future," he repeated.

"What are you thinking?" she asked. Clearly something was on his mind. She put her hands on his chest, willing him to share with her.

"Just that… I always fought for future," he answered, hugging her tighter. "But I did not know why. Future seemed… abstract. With you, future is concrete - real. I fight for future for you. For _us_."


	46. things you said when you kissed me good night

"You know," she teased, "I'll be right beside you all night, and still here when you wake up."

"Do you want me to stop kissing you?" he asked, eyes sparkling as he trailed kisses across her shoulder, nearing her neck again.

"I won't stop you," she giggled. "I just… think you're funny."

"I very much like kissing you," he informed her on his slow way up her neck. "Now that we are free of interruptions." He tipped her face back towards him and kissed her, gently and lovingly, on the lips.

"Hard to complain about that."

"Good. I will keep going, then."


	47. things you said in a hotel room

"Would you move in with me?" Gaby asked abruptly. Illya straightened up and turned to her, surprised. She gestured around. "We share all of these hotel rooms, not to mention safehouses and office space and _lives_. I don't see why we should live apart between jobs."

Illya's eyes sparkled as he stepped towards her. "You only want me to reach high shelves," he teased.

"Among other things," she agreed. "If you don't believe you'll tire of me."

"I could never tire of you," he answered, pulling her into a crushing kiss, holding her tight. "I will gladly move in, Gaby."


	48. things you said on our honeymoon

"Would it really kill Waverly to give us an actual vacation, without any international intrigue?" Gaby complained, stretching and rolling her shoulders.

"Yes," Illya answered, amused. He was changing out of a bloodied and sweat-soaked shirt.

"He's exhausting." She lowered her arms as he came up behind her, shirtless, wrapping his arms around her middle. "I need a shower after last night."

Illya nosed through her dark hair, planting kisses down her neck. "Can I come along?"

"We're supposed to be working," she laughed.

"Waverly does not have to know," he pointed out. "I do not write shower reports."


	49. things you said when we were 18

"Waverly, we can't possibly pull this off," Napoleon said. "Gaby, maybe. But Peril and I? Not a chance."

"You'd be surprised," Waverly said. "A little makeup, the right clothes, and some sweet nothings go a long way." He pointed, and Napoleon turned to see his partners enter the room, transformed into teenage lovers.

Gaby giggled, letting herself lean into Illya's side as he whispered in her ear about staying together forever. Cover or not, there was an undertone of sincerity to his words, and it didn't take much for her to turn into a vapid youth vacationing with her boyfriend.


	50. things you said when we were 70

She turned on the radio and took his hand, pulling him into a familiar dance. He smiled.

"You know, I saved whole world once," he reminded her.

"Yes, I was there," she agreed, nodding as she spun him slowly. "I might even say you did it more than once."

"And as always, at the end of day you make me dance," he noted. "This music will wake the grandchildren."

"They'll be fine," she said. "What were you saving the world for, if not to dance with me afterwards?"

"Our grandchildren," he answered. "Even if I did not know it then."


	51. things you said as we danced in our socks

"This feels familiar," Illya said drily as he stood still in the middle of the hotel room, letting Gaby move his arms as she danced to the song on the radio.

"It does," she agreed with a slow nod. "You have the power to mix it up a little, though, you know." She spun herself lazily under his left arm, then picked up his right hand again, swaying gently.

"But what fun would it be to give in?" he asked, a trace of humour in his expression.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, shrugging. "We'll never find out if you don't try." When he didn't respond, she continued, "I could always give wrestling another go, if you want _fun_."

He was working not to smile. "Maybe later, little chop shop girl. We would not want to have too much fun all at once."


	52. things you said with my lips on your neck

"Mm… Gaby. We have job to do."

"Did Solo look like he needed our help?" she challenged softly, punctuating it with another kiss. "Five minutes, Illya. That's all I ask."

He groaned, considering, as she raked a hand down his side. "Five minutes is not enough for anything fun," he pointed out eventually, her mouth trailing down to his collarbone.

"Greedy," she accused, absent-mindedly. "Ten?"

"Fifteen," he countered. "Is my final offer."

"I like the way you bargain," she told him with a smile.

"You are tough sell," he answered, pulling her closer against his lap. "But good for the payment, I know."


	53. things you said in the dark

"Gaby?" He couldn't move, but that wasn't his priority right now. Was she hurt in the blast?

"Illya?" came her cautious voice. "Is that you?"

"Gaby, are you hurt?"

"Not really. Well, no broken bones or major bleeding. I'm bruised. Where are you?"

"You must come to me," he answered. "I am trapped."

"Trapped?" He could hear the alarm, and the way she hurriedly tamped it back down. "I can't find you. It's so dark."

"You have five senses, Gaby," he reminded her calmly. "You are smart. Be careful. Follow my voice, and smell."

"Smell," she snorted, clearly skeptical.

"Yes. Concentrate. What do I smell like?"

She was nearby, by the sounds of it. Some German muttering, the clatter of small rubble, and then… "Sweat." She paused. "At least, when we've been working this hard." More rubble. "Soap - plain soap. A tiny bit of aftershave. Gunpowder, often. Today… kombucha. And flowers." Making her slow way closer, she asked, "What do I smell like?"

"Fresh and clean," he told her. "Vanilla soap, and coconut shampoo. Dry cleaning. Sometimes simple perfume, and sometimes motor oil. Today there is gasoline, and woodsmoke. You smell like home." Then he felt her hesitant hand on his arm and said, "Ah. Hello. Would you help unbury me, perhaps?"

Her hands spread across his shoulders. "One moment. I have to check how you taste."


	54. things you always meant to say but never got the chance

"Hello handsome," she greeted as he entered the room, freshly showered and still drying his hair. He paused and looked up at her.

"Do you think so?"

"What?" she asked, frowning.

"Do you think I am handsome?" he clarified, curious. He had rarely thought of himself as such.

"Of course," she answered, putting down her newspaper and scooting closer to him on the bed. "Isn't that obvious, the way we get on?" She traced a fingertip lightly down the muscles of his arm.

"Not same thing," he told her, amused. He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. "I am only curious."

"I think you're exceptionally handsome," she assured him, smiling. "I'm very lucky."

"You are… very beautiful," he responded thoughtfully. "Always. You are many things, but beautiful is not least of them." He toyed with her fingers in his much bigger hand. "Most beautiful, perhaps, when concentrating. On machine, or on problem to solve, decision to make, on me or on mark… So lovely."

Gaby smiled. "You're too sweet to me, Illya."

He shook his head absently. "No. This has always been true."

"Well, thank you." She kissed his shoulders fondly.


	55. things you said under your breath

" _Ty udivitel'nyy_ , Gaby," Illya murmured softly as he adjusted the radio she had gotten working for him. " _Ya lyublyu tebya_."

"What was that?" she asked, rousing from her doze. "I heard my name."

" _Nichego, moy solnishka_ ," he answered absently. "Get some rest."

"Do you use Russian phrases I don't know yet just to bother me?" she needled.

"Hm?" Then Illya looked up, coming back to himself, and realized what he'd done. Holding a carefully straight face, he answered, "No, is accidental. Thinking aloud. Do not worry what I said." Eager to distract her, he pointed at the radio. "We're finally broadcasting. If Cowboy is looking for us, he should hear signal soon."

"All right," she said with a yawn. "Tell him to bring dinner." Tightening the blanket around her in the chair, she went easily back to sleep.

Illya breathed a sigh of relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You're amazing, Gaby. I love you."  
> "Nothing, my sunshine."  
> (thank heavens for Google translate.)


	56. things you said in the spur of the moment

"You are truly perfect woman," he said to her, in a voice that had never sounded more in love.

"You just watched her shoot a man's knees out, hotwire a car, drive recklessly through the streets of Johannesburg for several miles, and swim across a gator-infested river. In Givenchy," Napoleon pointed out from the Russian's left.

"Yes," Illya answered, his tone making it clear that those were exactly the things that made her so alluring. Glancing back to see that they were far enough into the trees to go unseen from the other side of the river, he scooped her into his arms, pinning her against a tree.

"Oh!" Gaby responded, smiling. "Hello, _Meine Liebste_."

"Cowboy," Illya called over his shoulder. "Please, give us moment."


	57. things you said when no one else was around

“I would not have survived, without you,” he said quietly.

“What?” she asked, startled.

“I would not have made it,” he repeated.

“Illya, you saved _me_ ,” she told him. “More than once.”

He shrugged, not meeting her eye. “I work for Russia, dying in service not so bad. Expected, even. Is acceptable fate. You… you increase will to survive. Dying for Russia is okay. Dying when there is Gaby… is less okay.”

She considered that for a minute. “There should be other reasons to live, Illya,” she said slowly.

“There are,” he agreed readily. “Plenty. But you are biggest one.”


	58. things you were afraid to say

“Gaby, we… we must talk,” he said slowly, not quite meeting her eye.

She stopped in the middle of a drink, looking up at him in concern. “What’s wrong, Illya?” She wanted to reach out and touch his hand, but he looked so uncomfortable she wasn’t sure if she should.

“I… we have been together for several months,” he began, his posture as stiff as his voice. “And I must ask you. We have kept this secret. What if we are discovered?”

“What happens, happens,” she said decisively. “We will deal with it if we must.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I must have plan. I must know. What if this threatens our jobs?”

She frowned, peering at him, but he still wasn’t quite looking back at her. “Then we leave. We can look after ourselves, and we have more than enough skills to find other employment. We will keep each other safe. It took too long for us to get this far. I am not giving up for my _job_.”

Illya let out a long breath, his eyes falling shut and the tension flowing away from his shoulders. “I did not… know if you would feel that way,” he admitted softly.

“Oh, Illya.” She moved to sit next to him, wrap her arms around his torso. He pulled her into his lap and held her close.

“I would abandon all of it for you, Gaby, if you wanted to.”


	59. things you said after we fell in love

“I have never been in love,” he said quietly. He was curled around her in bed, her back pressed to his chest, and drawing circles against the bare skin of her upper arm.

“Never?” she asked, turning to look at him over her shoulder.

“No.” He shifted; wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body tighter against his own. “I got attached to people, when I was young. Powerfully. But KGB trained me out of it. And there are few people to get attached to, anyway, in this line of work.” He met her eye. “Before you.”

“So what do you think?”

He pressed his lips to her shoulder. “I am in love with you, and I have never felt so much,” he answered. “I do not think I would trade it for anything. I plan to stay this way.”

She felt her heart melting, and reached back to stroke his jawline. “That must be your best plan yet.”


End file.
